Incident in a Russian plague research laboratory: the European Commission is monitoring the situation

We are aware of reports of an incident in a laboratory in Russia, which appears to be related to the pathogen causing the plague, said Eva Hrncirova during a press conference.

The spokeswoman noted that the European Commission was following developments "very closely" and was consulting experts from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) on this matter.

Hrncirova reminded that plague is an infectious disease caused by bacteria. It can be treated with antibiotics.

When asked about the possibility of obtaining information directly from the Russian authorities, she replied that the Commission uses available channels, including the World Health Organization.

The spokeswoman did not provide specific data on the size of EU reserves of antibiotics. However, she explained that Member States had their own stocks and that additional reserves also existed at European level.

An employee of a plague research institute in Shelekhov in the Irkutsk Oblast in Siberia fell ill and died in unclear circumstances. The authorities have quarantined people who had contact with her, but emphasize that there is no evidence that the woman's death was related to her work or an incident with pathogens.

The head of the Russian sanitary supervision authority, Rospotrebnadzor, Anna Popova, went to the Irkutsk region for an emergency meeting.

The governor of the Irkutsk region, Igor Kobziev, assured that the situation was under control. He said that all people who may have had contact with the deceased have been identified, examined and placed under medical observation.

Rospotrebnadzor also reported that the institute found no traces of any accidents while working with pathogens. Previously unconfirmed information appeared on social media, according to which the woman allegedly dropped a test tube with live bacteria.

Meanwhile, on October 3, representatives of the Baikalsk city authorities published an appeal in the Telegram messenger not to travel to Shelekhov. The post was later deleted.

A day later, a three-day quarantine was introduced in several hospitals in Irkutsk, Meduza reports.

The authorities of the Irkutsk region assure that the situation remains under control and that people in contact with the deceased have been identified, examined and placed under medical supervision.

The plague is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Its natural foci include, among others: in Siberia, where the bacteria circulate in populations of small wild mammals and fleas.

The last case of plague in Russia was recorded in 2016 in Altai Krai in the south of the country. Disease outbreaks still occur, including: in Mongolia. In 2023, 137 outbreaks were detected in 17 regions, including near the border with Russia.

The disease comes in three main forms. Pneumonic plague, which attacks the respiratory system, can be transmitted through droplets. Early diagnosis allows treatment with antibiotics, but if left untreated, the pulmonary form can lead to death within one to six days.

The Russian authorities emphasize that the laboratory technician's death has not been confirmed to be related to the plague or her professional duties.

According to the Meduza website, citing Google Trends data, the number of searches for the term "plague" in Google increased by about 2,800 percent in Russia. during the week - from September 29 to October 5. Compared to the same period last year, the increase was to be 5,000%.

Interest in the topic increased after information about the quarantine in the hospital in Szelechów.